Zambonguita, Negros Oriental – Born with the need to promote food security to their far-flung barangays, the Municipal Nutrition Committee {MNC} of Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental set-up a vegetable garden and fishpond among the four geographically and isolated among their disadvantaged (GIDA) barangays.
Food availability is one of the main concerns of these isolated barangays limiting the availability and variety of food each family receives. Hence backyard garden and fishponds are great alternative for them to have a quality and nutritious meals.
The program dubbed “Gulayan at Palaisdaan sa BHS para Malnutrisyon ay Labanan!” was officially launched during the observance of the 47th Nutrition Month celebration. The said project aims to promote backyard gardening and establishment of fishponds to the community to augment the need to proper nutrition among nutritionally at-risk pregnant women as well as families with malnourished children. This was made possible with the partnership of the MNC with the Municipal Agriculture Office. Technical support and needed materials like fruits, vegetable seeds and tilapia fingerlings were provided by the agriculture office to provide logistics to start up the said program.
“We give our garden and fishponds produce to the families with malnourished children in the barangay. And it was very fulfilling that we can help our families through this project.”, said Malongcay Diot barangay captain Hon. Romelito C. Cafino. Captain Cafino also said that promotion of food security is one of the main objectives of the program to encourage families to establish backyard gardens and fishponds in their own backyards.
After the success of the said project in the GIDA barangays, LGU Zamboanguita plans to expand the program to the different puroks and sustain the strategy. The LGU is hopeful for the success of the program, and ultimately contribute to the decrease of the malnutrition prevalence of the municipality. // ND II Teresito M. Caayaman III, RND
